Section of Hong Kong zoo closes after eight monkeys found dead

Hong Kong: A section of Hong Kong s oldest zoo closed on Monday after eight monkeys, including three from a critically endangered species, were found...

Hong Kong: A section of Hong Kong's oldest zoo closed on Monday after eight monkeys, including three from a critically endangered species, were found dead, a government statement said.

Zoo officials were investigating what caused the deaths of the monkeys, which included a De Brazza's Monkey, one Common Squirrel Monkey, three Cotton-top Tamarins and three White-faced Sakis, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) said in a statement.

"Necropsy and laboratory tests have been arranged immediately to help find out their cause of death," it said.

Cotton-top Tamarins -- a type of small, tree-dwelling monkey native to the tropical forests of South America -- are considered one of the most endangered species of primates in the world.

Fewer than 6,000 individuals are left in the wild, according to the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.